Is it me? or are Administrations been brain washed by "Accountability Gimmicks"? Latest and greatest PASS devices that signal temperature and identifies names and users on a box. Tens of thousands of dollars spent. For what? How about company officers identify who they are working with, communicate that to one person who is using a high tech pencil and paper. Fire companies need to use discipline and complete their assignments then return to manpower area. Each officer checks in and out of IDLH identifying their location and work assignment. Stop the madness of buying into gimmicks and start holding company officers responsible, but be consistent. And Firefighters need to be just as disciplined and not freelance. As much as you think it has gone away, it is just being cleverly disguised.
Let me know what you think.
Ken
Permalink Reply by Ken on January 28, 2009 at 3:14pm
LOl, I mean no disrespect to GPS, and I did not mean to come across as "patronizing". Progress in the fire service is one of the most important issues we face. As for GPS, I am not sold (yet). There are devices out there that locate a pass device like a hunting dog as an example, but it does not tell you what level the downed firefighter is on, unless you have a predetermined assignment attached to your PASS, (good luck with that) We do not have the Technology that maps out each building with each level and gives you precise locations of firefighters. The technology is there, but the money is not. I believe the best form of progress we as firefighters have is Communication. Passing on experiences and training tips, gathering information and aggressively promote to the public what we are expected to do each time a citizen calls 911. They expect everything from handballs to handbags from us. sorry a bit of a soap box .
Permalink Reply by Ken on January 28, 2009 at 3:20pm
I am not sure about the end of your comment, (make a lot of money on). I think some companies have sold a bill of goods to alot of fire departments already. I know community shoved it down the firefighters throats and had no plan to implement it